66 BULLETIN 792, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
WEAKFISH. 
The weakfish is given in the special report of the Bureau of the 
Census on Fisheries of the United States under the name of Squeteague. 
It is an “excellent food fish found in abundance along the Atlantic 
Coast from Cape Cod to Florida. It is known as ‘drummer’ about 
Cape Cod; ‘yeUowfin’ about Buzzards Bay; ‘weakfish’ in New York 
and New Jersey; ‘bluefish’ in Delaware and Virginia; ‘gray trout,’ 
‘sun trout,’ ‘shad trout,’ ‘sea trout,’ and ‘salt water trout’ in the 
Middle and South Atlantic States, and ‘squeteague,’ ‘squit,’ ‘chick- 
wit,’ etc., in various places. It averages about two and one-half 
pounds in weight, though some individuals attain a weight of 30 
pounds. They are caught in seines and gill nets and with hook and 
line. The spotted squeteague is found from New Jersey to Texas, and 
¢) 
is somewhat larger than the preceding.”’ 
On January 15, 1918, 712,636 pounds of frozen weakfish remained 
in cold storage from the previous year. The stocks decreased until 
April 15, when 85,270 pounds remained. An increase then occurred 
until October 15 and the reports of that date showed stocks of 
2,175,541 pounds. This amount was approximately twice as large 
as the holdings of the previous year. 
TABLE 60.—Monthly cold storage holdings of frozen weakfish during 1918, and increase 
or decrease during each month. 
: Holdings Relative 
Month. on fifteenth | percent- Increase or decrease 
of month. age. during month. 
Pounds. Per cent. Pounds. Per cent. 
TATU AT Y Se eee reer ee: <i le 2 ae =, gen 712,636 32.8 — 335,538 — 47.1 
February 3 ne. eee. Sete. Can ea es 377,098 ees — 208,922 — 55.4 
March’ © 3: sie eae ee. Seesaw |e eae ee. + at 168,176 Cast — 82,906 — 49.3 
April ni 2) Sd ee Bei: cnt IW Mies 85,270 3.9 + 454,486 + 533.0 
TA Le a Oe aie BO SRI ee I Se 539,756 24.8 +769,729 +142.6 
SUUNTIG a A o -  » RE 2 LVIE. Cee aes eee > ee 1,309,485 60.2 + 35,319 + 2.7 
SUCHE eemeg Ae 25 c RR yhe  a AR 1,344,804 61.8 +449,653 + 33.4 
ATT EUS Ee 2s) ae cpa ee Tepes etre, eee 1,794,457 82.5 — 17,6 — 1.0 
Septembersegee — eae UBB E iar dete Ries Bee 1,776,785 81.7 +398,756 + 22.4 
October=25 ee. Lee Se 3. seen. eee! ee, 2,175,541 100.0 — 54,098 — 2.5 
November” pes Sete) uae. Ree alae 2 eee 2,121,443 97.5 — 99,343 - Ber 
December: Faeee™ _ SUBboh. .. Saale Sees ees Ses 2,022,100 92.9 — 507,440 
TaBLeE 61.—Monthly cold storage holdings of frozen weakfish during 1918 compared 
with those of 1917. 
Reported for 1918. Comparison with 1917. 
Month. : Holdings Storages Increase 
Storages reported reporting 1917. 1918. = 
reporting.| on fifteenth | for both decrease. 
of month. dates. 
Number. Pounds. Number. Pounds. Pounds. Per cent. 
Januany= <= Sane soe eee 26 712,636 19 443,646 374,545 — 15.6 
iRebruany2= see ee ee 28 377,098 20 88,099 100,347 + 13.9 
March) 22 Sie.8 See oe 29 168,176 22 91,493 - 105,004 + 14.8 
(Apri Dos. So Sie eae Se ee ee 27 85,270 21 28,755 65,409 +127.5 
Maye eee. See ae ee 22 539,756 18 152,402 394,425 +158.8 
SUING he ee Oi a he 23 1,309,485 19 196,531 962,560 +389.8 
July: 42: oo eee” eee ae 23 1,344,804 19 228,126 982,969 +330.9 
Aurasts = Se.) Pies eee 26 1,794,457 21 723,097 1,269,802 + 75.6 
peptember. 4 - se see 24 1,776,785 19 546,588 1,228,123 +124.7 
October - ee Lee 25 eA: 22 930,855 1,846,255 + 98.3 
November. seas eter 27 2,121,443 25 1,460,003 2,117,273 + 45.0 
December ?=. oe 28 2,022,100 28 1,156,420 2,022,100 + 74.9 
